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Princess, Popcorn Park Zoo's Pigskin-Picking Camel, Dies Before Super Bowl

LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — New Jersey's pigskin-prognosticating camel has died just weeks before the state is set to host its first Super Bowl.

Princess was a fixture at the Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township for 10 years and gained fame for picking winners.

Zoo manager John Bergmann tells the Asbury Park Press the 26-year-old Bactrian camel was euthanized after arthritis made it impossible for her to stand.

"She had to go in dignity, because that is how she lived her life," Bergmann said.

Princess made her picks with graham crackers. Bergmann would hold one in each hand, marked with the names of the competing teams. Whichever hand she chose was her prediction.

Princess correctly picked the Baltimore Ravens in last year's Super Bowl and got it right with the Giants in early 2012. Her best run came in the 2008 season, when she picked 17 of 22 games correctly, including the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl XLIII.

"Her absence leaves a big void in the park," Bergmann said. "It was not just her size, but her personality, and to not have her here leaves a big hole."

Super Bowl XLVIII will be played Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

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